The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-08-17
BOB TOOAIBS'S DEHl-..
"ic founded Into the Arena Like "a
I'lack-Mancd Sumidian Lion"

iit hpuhuth lnID the arena Like ;
I'lack-Mancd Sumidian Lion"
From the Louisville Cuuricr.JourpuIJ
The first evidence of the cominc powu
OF this remarkable man was exhibited mt
Wilmington, a small village in AbbcviIlc
district (as the present counties were
then callcd), South Carolina. General
George McDutlc, the only representa-.
tive of DcmoSthencs in this country
since Patrick Henry, lived near there
McDuilie was harncsscd lightning. lie
forged the chain OF logic at white heat.
lie was the most nervous, Impassionud
and thrilling tribune of the people vi
that day. lie demonstrated the political
problems as Euclid did geometry, while
foamlng ut the mouth and SCREAMING
like painted Creek Indian. He had
married the only daughter Of Dick Sin
gleton, the celebrated millionaire turf
man and rice planter, and he owned tour
hundred slaves and made eight hundred
bales OF cotton Year.. He had been Il
member OF Congress, governor of South
Carolina, and was afterwards United
States Senator The people, before
making up their minds on any political
question, would say "AIr. McDunio is
going to speak at Morrow's old field two
"SSAp iloLi iON, illIi Will "ulI I'LL
hear him, and there they would como
forty and fifty miles, and camp out the
night before to hear him, and his speech
would decide the politics of the entire
country once year. On this Willing
ton occasion it was said that "the ever.
lasting mouthcd Bob Toombs was
coming over to meet him. Four thou.
sand people were there when that rash
young Georgian crossed the Savannah
to meet the lion in his den, to beard the
Douglas in his halls. ToombS rode a
horse, and it was remarked that his shirt
bosom was stained with tobacco. Juice.
Yet Lo was one of the handsomcst men
that ever had the seal of genius on his
brow. His head was round as the colcs-
tial globe. His abundant, straight,
black hair hung in profusion over his
ample, marble forehead. He had as
many teeth as shark, and they were
whittier than ivory. His eyes were black
as death and bigger than an oXs. His
step was as graceful as the wildcats,
and yet he weighed two hundred pounds.
His presence captivatCd even the idola.
tors of George McDuilie. He bounded
into the arena like black named Nu.
indian lion from the unknown deserts
OF middle Georgia, to reply to tho
Olympian Jupiter of the up.country OF
the proud Palmetto State. 1t was tho
most memorable overthrow that Nc
Duilto ever sustained. This was in the
| Harrison Van Buren, election of 1910
His argument, his invcctivo, his over
bearing torrent of irrevercnt denuncia
ton, is a tradition in that country even
now McDufle said: 81 have hearC
John Randolph, Of Roanoke, and me
Tristan Burgess, of Rhode Island, bu
this wild Georgian is the Mirabeau o
this age" After that South Caroline
admitted that Georgia was something
more than the refuge Of South Carolin,
fugitives from justice. This was the be
ginning of Toombs's immortal Southern
fame.
Since the recent death of ex-Senato
II. M. L. Hunter, of Virginia, Senate
Reagan, of Texas, and Ex-Governor T.
III. Watts, of Alabama, are the only sur
viying members of Mr.. DaYis's cabinet
Reagan was postmaster general anC
Watts attorney general. AT Montgome
ry, Ala, there was secret session o
the cabinet to see whether we shoulc
lombard Fort Sumter. Toombs wa
then secretary of State and was regarde,
as the most rash, headstrong and Violen
man in the Confederacy. While in th